Regenerative heating structure



March 5, 1929. J, VAN ACKEREN 1,704,229

REGENERATIVE HEATING STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 23, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet l w/f/ f4 March 5, 1929. 1, VAN ACKEREN 1,704,229

REGENERATIVE HEATING STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 23, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 f f27 c 6'@ ZZUQZZ for 4 Sheets-Sheet `Filed Feb. 23, 1923 IlVG 2MIHHMH-{1::1: :i--l-------.

March s, 1929. Lv VAN ACKERN 1,704,229

v REGENERATIVE HEATING STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 23. 1925 .4 Shoots-Sheet 4lig/ Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES A y *1,704,229 PATENT oFFlce.

JOSEPH'. VAN ACKEILEN, OF PITTSBRGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 THEKOPPEBS COMPANY, VO1" PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

BEGENERATIVE HEATING STRUCTURE.

This invention comprehends improvements in regenerative heatingapparatus generally and relates particularly to apparatus that isespecially adapted for distill- 5 ing carbonaceous materials. Theinvention has for an object the provision of a construction that isthoroughly efficient in operation and which will produce high grade ycoke, when employed for distilling coal, and

effect a substantially complete by-product recovery by a distillingoperation conducted with great conservation of heat.

Important characteristics of the invention are: the provision of asystem of combustionin the flame or combustion flues of the heatingwalls of the distilling chambers, by which system flame or combustion ismaintained concurrently in all of the flues of each heating wall, withperiodic reversal in direction of flow of the heating gases and theattainment of efficient combustion and heating effects in each directionof theV flow of the heating gases, andA With substantially directconnections between a comlete reversible regenerative system and iioththe upper and lower ends of the vertical flame flues, such connectionseliminating any necessity for the employment of gasflow distributing`channels betweeny the regenerators and the horizontal or bus-fines thatare located at the upper and lower ends of the flame flues; theconstruction and arrangement of the regenerative system and connectionof the same with the flues in such manner as to attain great etliciencin heat conservation and equality in distribution of the heating effectin the several distilling chambers of the battery; a ready. adaptabilityfor ,operation with an extraneous y derived gas such as producer" gas orblast furnacegas, for fuel, with regenerative heating of the flue gas insome of the regenerators without any countercurrent flow between theincoming fuel gas and the outflowing waste gas, so that waste of thefuel gas is avoided.

In addition to the general objects recited above, the invention has forfurther objects such other improvements and advantages in constructionand operation -as are foundto obtain in the structures and deviceshereinafter described or cla1med.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification andshowing, for.

purposes of exemplificntion, a preferred form and manner in which theinvention may be embodied and practiced, but without limiting theclaimed invention to such illustrative instance or instances Figure l isa composite vertical sectional and elevational view of a vertical retortconstruction embodying features above specified and constructed inaccordance with the improvements of the present invention, the Viewbeing taken in the several vertical planes indicated by the lines C-G,D.D, E-E, and F-F of Figs. 2, 3 and 4;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation of the retort constructiontaken in a plane indicated by the line A-A of Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation of the retort constructiontaken in a plane indicated by the line B-B of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 4 is a composite horizontal sectional view taken in the differenthorizontal planes indicated by the lines H-H and G--G of Figs. 1, 2 and3.

The same characters of reference designate the same parts in each of theseveral views of the drawings. y

In its present embodiment, the invention is incorporated in a verticalretort construction for producing metallurgical coke and one that isespecially designed for the employment of an extraneously derived gas,Vsuch as lproducer gas or blast furnace gas, for fuel. For convenience,the present description will be confined to this embodiment of theinvention; features of construction and operation are, however, capableof other valuable applications, for example, to apparatus generallyuseful in the heat treatment of materials or to constructions embodyingthe combination principle exemplified in my co-pending application forLetters Patent of the United States for vertical retort battery, filedFebruary 4, 1921, Serial No. 4442,3:37' consequently the invention isnot conned in its scope to the specific use and embodiment herein de-100 scribed as an illustrative example.

Referring to the drawings, there are illustrated views of a verticalretort battery of the by-product type, as hereinbefore mentioned. Thevertical retort battery A em- 106 bodies in its construction a series ofdistilling chambers, such 'as the series 11 of vertical elongatedretorts or coking chambers, the retorts of such series bein contiguousto intermediateV heating wa ls 12 11o" corresponding to the respectiveseries of retorts 11. 'fhe heating walls and the retort chambers extendto a great height as compared with their respective widths and assembly,whereas the refrenerators extend in series along the other side of thebattery assembly, 'as will hereinafter appear. The heating walls 12 formthe side Walls of the respective retorts 11, as shown more particularlyin Figs. 1 and 3, and the outer ends of the respective retorts as wellas the heating walls are reinforced by side refractory walls designatedgenerally by the reference character 15.

The coal to be coked is chargedpinto the u per end of the retorts 11through the c arging holes 23, and the completed coke is dischargedthrough the openings 26 at the bottoms of said retorts. .Because of thegreat height of the retorts as compared with their width and cross-wisedimensions, the retort battery is preferably employed ,as a continuousvertical retort. W en sJ employed, a continuous li'eed of carbonaceousmaterial may be maintained through the re torts 11, with continuousdischarge of the inished coke fromvthe bottoms o? said retorts. Ifdesired a suitable form of coke handling and discharging agparatus maybe employed for receiving an handling the coke as it drops from thebottoms ot said retorts, for example apparatus such as is show-n anddescribed in my prior ap licationfor Letters Patent of the United tatesfor regenerative heating structure, filed July 24, 1922, Serial No.576,985. f

The heat for coking the charges of coal in the several retorts l1 isderived from the heating walls 12 corresponding to said retorts. Eachheating wall 12 is constituted ot a plurality of verticali'lame orcombustion flues 37 that are operatively disposed in single Groups intheir respective heating walls. of each heating wall operateconcurrently for flow in the same direction i infact, the llow is in thesame direction during a reversal period throughout the entire system offlues of the battery, as will hereinafter appear.

The regenerators 38 are located on that side of the battery loppositefrom the retorts 1l and heating Walls 12 and are separated from saidretorts and heating walls by the media( e wall structure 16. As shown inFig.

3, the regenerators are located in a singleseries along one side of thebattery, with the major' vertical planes of the regenerators parallelwith the ma jor vertical planes of the retorts and heating walls.Operatively, the series of regenerators 38 is disposed into two groups Rand S, each such group R, S comprising four regenerators takenseriatuin, and the regenerators comprising the groups R alternating withthe regenerators comprising the grou s" S. 'When the severalregenerators vconstituting the group R are op erating for inflow, thatis to say, for delivering preheated aseous media to the lues of theheating wa 1s, the several rcgenerators oi' the other groups S are oerating tor outilow to extract heat from tlie flue gases discharged intothe regenerators from the llues. On reversal of the battery, at the endof an operating period determined by practice, the inflow regeneratorsbecome outflow regenerators and the outflow regenerators become inflow're generators.

Each regenerator 38 is preferably a high narrow vupright chambercontaining open brickwork, commonly called eheckerwork and indicated at40 with a sole channel 41 underneath such checkerwork, the channels 4lforming the soles of such chambers and opening up into the checkerwork.The several regenerators are heated by the hot combustion products thatare exhausted from the flame or combustion flues hereinbefore mentionedand then, on reversal, impart such heat to the medium that they feedinto these flame flues.

In the operation of the battery, according to the present embodiment ofthe invention which employs an extraneously derived gas, such asproducer gas for fuel, the several rcgenerators constituting the groupR, when in inllow operation, deliver air and fuel gas to the flame fluesduring the period when the latter are operating for upflow combustion;these regenerators R receive the exhaust gases from the llame luesa'lter reversal, that is to say, during the period when the flame liliesare operating for dowu flow combustion. On the other hand, the severalregenerators constituting the group S operate for inlowof air and fuelgas to deliver the same to the llues when the lat- 'ter are operatingfor downllow combustion, hat 1s to say, all of the heatmg lues and thesaid regenerators S operate tor outflow to receive the exhaust gasesfrom the lues during the period when the latter are operating for upflowcombustion. This method of operation requires the regenerators R to beconnected with the lower ends of the flame lues 37 and the regeueratorsS to beconnected with the upper ends ot said flame flues. The severalregenerators of each group R and S are constituted of air regenerators Aand gas regcnerators P, when operating for inflow, and all theregenerators of each group areV constituted of waste gas regenerators Wwhen o erating for outflow. However` the several) regenerators R operatefor inflow while at the same time the several regenerators S operate foroutflow and, on reversal of the flow throu h the flame flues, theseveral regenerators are switched to the inflow function whileconcurrently the other regenerators R are switched to the outowfunction.

In accordance with the invention, and as shown in Fig. l, the oducer gasregenerators P of each group or S are constituted of the two insideregenerators of their respective groups; whereas the air regenerators Aof the groups R and S are constituted of the two outside regenerators oftheir respective groups. inasmuch as the groups R alternate with .thegroups S and when the regenerators of the groups R are operating forinflow, several regenerators of the group S are operatin for outflow,and vice versa, and because of the arrangement of the inflow fuel gasregenerators as the inside regenerators of their respective groups, onlythe air regenerators A of the inflow groups will be adjacent to and incountercurrent relation with the waste gas regenerator W, whether thegroup R or S be operating for iniiow. Consequently any countercurrentrelation of flow between adjacent regenerators, in any operation of thebattery, is only between air and waste gas regenerators and neverbetween waste gas and fuel regenerators, with the result that there ispractically no liability for the yfuel gas to become short circuited andpass into the waste gas regenerators, where it would be wasted. Thepresent grouping of the inflow fuel gas regenerators to avoid thiscountercurrent relation with the waste gases flowing out through thewaste gas regenerators is an important advantage because it practicallyeliminates any waste of fuel gas, inasmuch as the fuel gas regeneratorsare located remotely from any region where conditions of pressuredifferential must be maintained in the operation'of the battery. Theoperating conditions in regenerative heating structure practice requirea pressure in the outflow regenerators somewhat less thanA that of theinflow regenerators and, in the construction of the present invention,only the inflow air regenerators are exposed to any losses' which mightaccrue due to this pressure differential. In the case of the incomingair, however, any loss from short circuiting into the waste gasregenerators is practically negligible in the economy of the batteryoperation.

The several regenerators A of the groups R lead at their upper ends intovertical feed channels 53. These vertical feed channels 53 extend downto a level just above the lower ends of the llame tlues 37 and therecommunicate with forked ducts 54, one fork of each duct 54 beingconnected with the horizontal ilue 55 of a heating wall and the otherfork of said duct being connected with the corresponding horizontal flueof an adjacent heating wall. With this construction, each regenerator A'of the groups R is connected with the lower ends of the llame llues 37of a pair of adjacent heating walls, and all the llame flues of thebattery are thus provided with direct connections with regenerators thatsupply air to the lines, Whenever upilow combustion is maintained in theflues. The horizontal flues 55 extend beneath and are directly connectedwith the lower ends of the llame flues 37.

The several regenerators P of the groups R lead at their upper ends intovertical feed channels 63. These vertical feed channels 63 extend downto a level just below the lower ends of the flame flues 87 and therecommunicate with forked ducts 64, one fork 0f each duct 64 beingconnected with the horizontal flue 65 of a heating wall and the otherfork of said duct being connected with the corresponding horizontal flueof an adjacent heating wall. With this construction, each regenerator Pof the groups R is connected with the lower ends of the flame fines 37of a pair of adjacent heating walls, and all the flame lues of thebattery are thus provided with direct connections with regenerators thatsupply fuel gas to the flues, whenever upflow combustion is maintainedin the iues. The horizontal flues 'G5 extend beneath and are directlyconnected with the lower ends of the flame ilues v37.

The several regenerators A of the groups S lead at their upper ends intoforked' ducts 74. one fork of each duct 74 being connected with theupper horizontal flue 7 of a heating wall and the other fork of saidduct being connected with the corresponding horizontal flue of anadjacent heating wall. With this construction, each regenerator A of thegroups S is connected with'the upper ends of the flame lues 37 of a pairof adjacent heating walls, and all t-he flame flues of the battery arethus provided with direct connections with regenerators that supply airto the flues, whenever downlow combustion is maintained in the flues.The horizontal lines 75 extend above and are directly connected with theupper ends of the flame lines 3?..

The several regenerators P of the groups S lead at their upper ends intoforked ducts 84, one fork of each duct 84 beine' connected with theupper horizontal flue 85 of a heating wall and the other fork of saidduct being connected with the corresponding horizontal flue of anadjacent heating wall. With this construction, each regenerator P of thegroups S is connected with the upper ends of the flame llues 37 of apair of adjacent heating walls, and all the flame llues of the batteryare thus provided with direct connections with regenerators that supplyfuel gas to the lues, whenever downflow combustion is maintained in theflues. The horizontaltlues 85 extend above and are directly connectedwith the upper ends of the flame fines 37,.

Extending longitudinally of the battery is a waste gas tunnel or stackflue 86, the

4waste gas tunnel 86serving for either of the groups R or S ofregenerators, when operating as waste gas generators for .the outflow ofthe waste gases. The said waste gas tunnel 86 leads to the' usual wastegas stack. There are provided the usual flow boxes for controlling theflow between the.

waste gas regenerators and said tunnel 86, as well as lids for admittingair to such of the regenerators as are supplying air to the flues. Afuel gas main is also provided with individual valve connections to theseveral regenerators P of both groups R and S. The control of the. flowof the waste gas, the fuel as and the air may conveniently be effectdbyi mechanism such as is `shown' and described in my said priorapplication Serial No. 576,985.

The `operation of the retort battery, as-

suming that a relatively lean or dilute gas,

' flues. The regenerators A of the groups R are employed for preheatingthe air to sup- A port the combustion Vof the gas in the lues.lConcurrently, all the regenerators of the lgroups S operate foroutflow, or as waste gas regenerators W.l The air and fuel gas passesupwardly through the regenerators A and P of the groups R, thencedownwardly through the vertical feed channels 53 and 63, thence intothel forked ducts 54 and 64 which deliver the air and fuel gasto thehorizontal lues 55 and 65. From said horizontal lues 55 and 65 .the airand fuel gas pass into the lower ends of the ame lines 37. Passingupwardly through the llues 37, the fuel gas burns inthe air suppliedfrom the horizontal flues 55. At the `tops of the flues, the waste gasespass out through the upper horizontal lues 75 and 85, thence through theupper forked ducts 74 and 84 which deliver l'said waste gases into theregenerators of the groups S. Passing downwardly through theregenerators S, the waste gases finally flow into the Waste gas tunnel86. On reversal of the battery, the low is eX- actly reversed throughthe flow passages just described. v' The regeneratorsA and P of thegroup S deliver to the tops of the tlues the air and fuel gas and thewaste gases from said lues exhaust from the bottom thereof into the topsof the regenerators of the group R. Flowing downwardly through saidregenerators, the waste gases ultimately pass through their open flowboxes into the Waste gas tunnel. Y

rlhe by-products and distillate gases from the several retorts or cokingchambers 11 pass out of the tops of' said retorts through ascensionpipes individual to the respective retorts 11. These ascension pipescarry the distillate and by-products to a collecting main, such as isdiesclosed in my said prior application, through which main thedistillate and by-products may pass to the byproduct recovery apparatus.

The invention as hereinabove set forth may be variously embodied withinthe scope of the claims hereinafter made.

l. In a retort battery, in combination: a row of alternate high narrowretort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side of thebattery; a row of highnarrow regenerators parallel with and adjacent tothe rst mentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; eachof said retort chambers being adapted to receive through its top thecharge to be coked and to discharge through its bottom the coked charge;said heating walls being respectively constituted of substantiallyvertical combustion flues; each of the combustion lues being adapted foralternate upflow and downlow combustion simultaneously in the samedirection as in each of the other combustion flues in the 'same Walltherewith; upper pairs of horizontal fines respectively connected withthe tops of the combustion iues; lower pairs of horizontal fluesrespectively connected with the bottoms of the combustion flues; saidregenerators being divided into two groups, the regenerators of onegroup'serving the combustion fines for down flow combustion and theregenerators of the other group serving said llues for upflowcombustion, each group pf regenerators when operating for inflowcomprising both fuel gas and air regenerators, the fuel gas and airregenerators of the downfiow combustion group being connectedrespectively by forked duct means located between the row ofregenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with one upperhorizontal llue of each of a pair of adjacent heating walls, and thefuel gas and air regenerators of the upilow combustion group beingconnected respectively by vertical channel and forked duct means locatedbetween the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heatfingwalls with one lower horizontal iiue of each of a pair of adjacentheating walls; substantially as specified.

2. In a vertical r'etort battery, in combination: a row of alternatehigh narrow retort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one sideof the battery; a row of regenerators parallel with and adjacent to thefirst mentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; eachof said retort chambers being adapted to receive through its top thecharge to be coked andto discharge through its bottom the coked charge;said heating walls being respectively constituted of substatntiallyvertical combustion fines; each of the combustion fiues being adaptedfor alternate upiow and downflow combustion simultaneously in the samedirection as in each of the other combustion iues in the same walltherewith; upper pairs of horizontal flues respectively communicablyconnected with the tops of the combustion fines; lower pairs ofhorizontal lues respectively connected with the bottoms of thecombustion nues; said regenerators being dividedv into two groups, theregenerators of one group-serving the combustion fines for downl'ilowyscornbustion and the re enerators of the other group serving saidues for upiow combustion, each group of regenerators when operating forinflow coml prising both fuel gas and air regenerators,

the fuel gas and air regenerators of the downow combustion group beingconnected respectively by forked duct means located between the row ofregenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with one upperhorizontal flue of each of a pair of adjacent heating walls, and thefuel gas and air regenerators of the upflow combustion group beingconnected respectively by vertical channel and forked duct means locatedbetween the row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls'with one lower horizontal flue of each of a pair of adjacent heatingwalls; substantially as specified.

3. In a vertical retort battery; in combination: a row of'alternate highnarrow retort chambers and heatingwalls therefor forming one side of thebattery; a row of regenerators parallel with and adjacent to the firstmentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; each of saidretort chambers being adapted to receive through its top the charge tobe coked and to discharge through its bottom the coked charge; lsaidheating walls being respectively constituted of substantially verticalcombustion lues; each of the combustion flues being adapted foralternate upfiow and downflow combustion simultaneously in the samedirection as in each of the other combustion iues in the same Walltherewith; upper pairs of horizontal {iues respectivelyl connected withthe tops of the combustion Iiues; lower pairs of horizontal iuesrespectively connected with the bottoms of the combustion tiues; said reenerators being divided into two groups; t e regenerators ofone groupserving the combustion ues for downlow tors, the fuel combustion and theregenerators of the other group serving said fines for upflowcombustion, the regenerators of the downiiow combustion Group beingconnected respectively by for ed duct means located between the row ofregenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls with one upperhorizont-alfine of each of a pair of adjacent heating walls, and theregenerators of the upflow combustion grou being connected respectivelyby vertical) channel and forked duct means, located between the row ofregenerators and the row of retorts and'heating walls, with one lowerhorizontal flue'of each of a pair of adjacent heating walls;substantially as specified.

4. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: a row of alternate-high narrow retort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one sideof the battery; a row of regenerators parallel with and adjacent to thefirst mentioned row and forming the oppo- 'site side of the battery;each of said retort chambers being adapted to receive throuvh its topthe charge to be coked and to discharge through its bottom the cokedcharge; said heating walls being respectively constituted ofsubstantially vertical combustion iiues; each of the combustion fluesbeing adapted for alternate upflow and downow combustion simultaneouslyin the same direction as in each of the other combustion fiues in thesame wall therewith; said re' generators being divided into two groups,the regenerators of one group serving the com# bustion ilues for downowcombustion and the regenerators of the other group serving said iluesfor. upflow combustion, leach group of regenerators when operatingzforiniow comprising both fuel gas and air regeneraas and air regeneratorsof the downlow comustion group being connected respectively by forkedduct means located betweenthe row of regenerators and the row of retortsand heating walls with the upper ends of the ame ues of a pair ofadjacent 'heating walls, and the fuel gas andl air re- Oenerators of theupiow combustion grou being connected respectively by vertica channeland forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and therow of retorts and heating walls with the lower ends of the llame fluesof al pair of ad'acent heating walls; substantially as speci ed.

5. In a vertical retort battery, in comblnation: a row of alternate highnarrow retort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side ofthe battery; a row of re enerators parallel with and adjacent to t efirst mentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; eachof .said retort chambers being adapted to receive'through its top thecharge to'be coked and to dis-4 charge through its bottom the cokedcharge; said heating walls being respectively constituted ofsubstantially vertical combustion iues; each of the combustion fluesbeing adapted for alternate upflow and downiiow combustionsimultaneously in the same direction as in each of the other combustionflues in the same wall therewith; said re generators being divided intotwo groups, the regenerators of one group serving the coinbustion fluesfor downiiow combustion and the regenerators of the other group servingsaid flues for upflow combustion, the regenerators of the downflowcombustion group being connected respectively by forked duct meanslocated between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts andheating walls with the upper ends of the flame flues of a pair ofadjacent heating walls, and the regenerators of the upow combustiongroup being connected respectively by vertical channel and forked ductmeans located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts andheating walls with the lower ends of the flame flues of a pair ofadjacent heating walls; substantially as specified.

6. A vertical retort battery having a row of alternate retort chambersand heating walls therefor forming one side of the battery, said heatingWalls containing substantially vertical combustion flues; combined witha row of regenerators, parallel with and adjacent to the first mentionedrow, forming the opposite side of the battery and disposed in downiowcombustion groups alternating with upiiow combustion groups, theregenerators of said groups being respectively connected by forked ductmeans located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts andheating walls with the upper and lower ends of pairs of the fiuidheating walls and each group of regenerators when operating for inflowcomprising both fuel gas and air regenerators, with the fuel gasregenerators disposed in the inside of the group and the airregenerators at the outside, whereby countercurrent flow between inowfuel gas regenerators and outflow waste gas regenerators is prevented;substantially as specified.

7 yIn a vertical retort battery in combination: a row of alternate highnarrow retort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side ofthe battery; a row of regenerators parallel with and adjacent to thefirst mentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; eachof said retort chambers being adapted to receive through its top thecharge to be coked and to discharge through its bottom the coked charge;said heating walls respectively comprising substantially parallelcombustion flues, each of said fiues being operable for upfiow anddownflow combustion in alternation; said regenerators being divided intotwo groups, the regenerators of one group serving the heating walls fordownfiow combustion and the regenerators of the other group serving theheating walls for upflow combustion, the regenerators of the downflowcombustion group being connected respectively by forked duct meanslocated between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts andheating walls with the flues at the upper ends of a pair of adjacentflued heating walls, and the regenerators of the upflow combustion groupbeing colnn'iunicably connected respectively by vertical channel andforked duct means located between the row of regenerators and the row ofretorts and heating walls with the flues at the lower ends of a pair ofadjacent fluedheating walls; substantially as specified.

S. lA. vertical retort battery having a row .of alternate retortchambers and heating walls therefor forming one side of the battery,said heating walls containing substantially vertical combustion flues;combined with a row `of regenerators, parallel with and adjacent to thefirst mentioned row, forming the opposite side of the battery anddisposed in downflow combustion groups alternating with upflowcombustion groups, the regenerators of' said groups being respectivelyconnected by duct means located between the row of regenerators and therow of retorts and heating walls with the flues at the upper and lowerends of pairs of the flued heating walls; substantially as specifled;

9. In a vertical retort battery, in coinbinadowniow combustionsimultaneously in the same direction as in each of the other combustionflues` each of said flues being in the same wall therewith; upper pairsof horizontal flues respectively connected with the tops of thecombustion flues; lower pairs of horizontal fiues respectively connectedwith the bottoms of the combustion flues; said regenerators beingdivided into two groups, the regenerators of one group serving thecombustion flues for downilow combustion and the regenerators oftheother group serving said flues for upflow combustion, each group ofregenerators when operating for inflow comprising both fuel gas and airregenerators, the fuel gas and air regenerators of the downflowcombustion group being connected respectively by forked duct meanslocated between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts andheating walls with one upper horizontal flue of each of a pair 4ofadjacent heating walls, and the fuel gas and air regenerators of theupow combustion group being connected respectively by vertical channeland forked duct means located between the row of regenerators and therow of retorts and heating walls with one lower horizontal flue of eachof a pair of adjacent heating walls; substantially as specified. I

l0. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: a row of alternateretort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side ot thebattery; a row of regenerators parallel with and adjacent to the firstmentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; said heatingwalls be-v ing respectively constituted of 'substantially vert-icalcombustion fines; each of the comhustion lues being adapted foralternate uplow and downflow combustion simultaneously in the samedirection as in each of the other combustion lues, each of said fluesbeing in the same wall therewith; upper pairs of horizontal fluesrespectively connected with the tops of the combustion flues; lowerpairs of horizontal ilues respectively connected with the bottoms of thecombustion tlues; said regenerators being divided into two groups, theregenerators of one group serving the combustion lues for downflowcombustion and the regenerators of the other group serving said iiuesfor upflow combustion, the regenerators of the downflo'w combustiongroup being connected respectively by forked duct means located betweenthe row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls withone upper horizontal flue of each of a pair of adjacent heating walls,and the regenerators of the upflow combustion group being connectedrespectively by vertical channel and forked duct means located betweenthe row of regenerators and the row of retorts and heating walls withonelower horizontal flue of each of a pair ot adjacent heating walls;

substantially as specified.

11. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: a row of alternateretort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side of thebattery; a row of regenerators parallel with and adjacent to tle firstmentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; saidhea-ting walls being respectively constituted of substantially verticalcombustion lues; each of the 'combustion ilues being adapted foralternate upilow and downflow combustion simultaneously in the samedirection as in each of the other combustion flues, each of said finesbeing in the same wall therewith; said regenerators being divided intotwo groups, the regenerators of one group serving the combustion luesfor downtlow combustion and the regenerators of the other group servingsaid flues for uplow combustion, each group of regenerators whenoperating for inflow comprising both fuel gas and air regenerators, thefuel Vgas and air regenerators of the downiiow flame iues of va pair ofadjacent heating walls; substantially as specified.

12. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: a row of alternateretort chambers and heating walls therefor forming one side of thebattery; a row of regenerators parallel with and adjacent to the firstmentioned row and forming the opposite side of the battery; said heatingWalls being respectively constituted of substantially verticalcombustion flues; each of the combustion flues being adapted foralternate upilow and downlow combustion simultaneously in the samedirection as in each of the other combustion tlues, each of said iuesbeing in the same wall therewith; said regenerators being divided intotwo groups, the regenerators of one group serving the combustion I tluesfor downflow combustion and the regenerators of the other group servingsaid flues for uptlow combustion, the regenerators of the downflowcombustion group being connected respectively by forked duct meanslocated between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts andheating walls with the upper ends of the flame flues of a pair ofadjacent heating walls, I and the regenerators of the upflow combustiongroup being connected respectively by vertical channel and forked ductmeans located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts andheating walls with the lower ends of the flame flues of a pair ofadjacent heating walls; substantially as specified.

13. A' vertical retort battery having a row of alternate retort chambersand heating walls therefor forming one side of the battery, said heatingwalls containing substantially vertical combustion lues; Cornbined witha row of regenerators, parallel with and adjacent to the rst mentionedrow, forming the opposite side of the battery and disposed in downlowcombustion groups alternating with upflow combustion groups, theregenerators of said groups being respectively connected by forkediductmeans located between the row of regenerators and the row of retorts'andheating Walls with the upper and lower ends of a plurality of the iuidheating walls and each group of regenerators when operating for infiowcomprising bothfuel gas and air regenerators, with the fuel gasregenerators disposed in the inside of the group and the airregenerators at the outside, whereby countercurrent flow between inflowfuel gas regenerators and outllow waste I as"`regenerators is prevented;lsubstantially as specified. y

1.4. A vertical retort battery having a row ot alternate retort chambersand heating walls therefor forming one side of the battery, said heatingwalls containing substantially vertical combustion tlues; combined witha row of regenerators, parallel with and adjacent to the first mentionedrow, forming the opposite side of the battery and disposed in downflowcombustion groups alternating' with upflow combustin roups, theregenerators of said groups being respectively connected by duct meanslocated between the row of regenerators and the row ot retorts andheating walls with the u per and lower ends of a plurality of the ucdheatingwalls; substantially as specified.

15. A vertical battery having a row of alternate retort'clmmbers andheating walls therefor forming one side of the battery; lsaid heatingwalls respectively comprising substantially parallel combustion flues;combined with a row of rcgenerators, parallel with and adjacent to thefirst mentioned row, which t'orms the op osite side of the battery andwhich are divi ed into two groups and which are respectively connectedby forked duct means located between the row of regrenerators and therow of retorts and heat\ ing walls with one end of the tlues of aplurality of the heating walls; substantially as described.

16. A retort battery with a row of alternate vertically operable retortsand vertically lued heating walls therefor"forming one side of thebattery); a row of reversible regenerators parallel with and adjacent tothe first mentioned row and forming the oposite side of the battery; andduets, located etween the row of regenerators and the row of retorts andhaving the i'i-.generators disposed in outflow grou )s alternating' withinflow grou s and with both` the upper and the lower en s of the iluesof the heating walls connected by ducts with the regenerators in such amanner that combustion may take place alternately upwardly anddownwardly 1n the vertical flues of all the heating walls in successiveworking periods; substantially as-specified.

17. In combination a retort battery com- .prising a row of alternatecoking chambers and substantially vertically fined heating walls formingone side ot the battery; a row ot' regencrators arallcl with andadjacent to the first mentioned row and forming the opposite side of thebattery; said regenerators being arranged in alternate and intermediategroups, each regenerator of alternate groups communicating through ductslocated between the row of regeneratiors and the row of coking chambersand heating walls with the upper ends, and each regenerator ot' theintermediate groups communicating through duets located between the rowof regenerators and the row oi coking chambers and heating walls withthe lower ends of the flame filles of a plurality of said heating walls;substantially as specified.

18. A retort battery as claimed in claim 17 in which the up er ends ofthe regenerators of the interme iate groups communicate with the lowerends of theV fines of the heating walls; substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH VAN ACKEREN.

